//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: The Book // Story: The Minstrel's Coda // by Kiniro //------------------------------// The Minstrel's Coda Chapter 3: The Book Being a human, such trivial things were easily avoided or corrected due to being such a dexterous being, but being a pony, even though I was surprisingly dexterous for having hooves especially for playing guitar. There were somethings that required just a little bit more attention than normal. For example, the door that I had just been battling with for the past few moments, trying to get it to budge or open, but the nob would not turn. "OH come on!" I said aloud to myself slightly muffled by the book that I still carried in my mouth. "Do I have to do this the hard way?" I stated as I slowly brought myself down, setting the book and scroll on the wood paneling of the balcony. "Alright door... round two!" I said with a slightly elevated voice, and I quickly grabbed the nob of the door with my teeth. "Ok step one..." I slightly muttered with spit being released. "Ok now... step two... turn!" I commented slightly muffled, followed by a slight turn of my head, hearing a click. "Oh... crap..." The sudden realization hit me with the sound of the click of the door nob. I was now stuck outside. Now realizing my fate, I sighed heavily. I slowly jumped on my hind legs, and swung the guitar around off my back. Catching the guitar with my front hooves and I slowly sat it against the nearby railing of the balcony. "Well I guess I'm going to be stuck out here for a while." I muttered to myself, plopping myself down against the door. I slowly eyed at the book and scroll that I had set on the floor. "Well... I guess I don't have much of anything else to do right now..." I slowly reached my hoof out for the letter, and picked it up. Feeling the nervousness and tension, I slowly slowly pulled on the ribbon that was holding the letter wrapped up with my teeth. With one subtle tug, the button that held the Equestrian Postal Service Emblem on it fell the the ground, making a light ping as it hit the balcony floor, and the ribbon completely unlaced from the letter and in my teeth. I slowly spit out the ribbon, letting the gentle breeze take it in the wind. Seeing the ribbon float around ever so elegantly in the light wind, it circled around various times, and even circled around my head once before being carried off to its next destination of the wind's choosing. Funny how something again so trivial in itself, could be so, entertaining and yet relaxing at the same time. "Ok... lets see what you've written to me Meadow Song..." I mentioned to myself, as I held the letter still rolled up but now unwrapped in my hand. Slowly I unrolled the letter, revealing the writings on the page. "My Dear Friend Kiniro, Where to begin..." I said aloud to myself but was quickly interrupted as the gentle morning breeze picked up and lifted the letter into the air. "Oh crap!" I shouted, "No come back!" I tried to chase after the letter as it began circling around me taunting me with its contents, waving and flailing my front hooves in the air trying to capture it, and even trying to bite it down with my mouth if it got close, but to no avail. The letter had come out of reach as it lifted into the air. "Well... there goes my response..." But as soon as I muttered the words, the wind quickly changed directions and brought it back down to the balcony floor. "Yes!" I shouted. Happy that my letter had returned to me, but quickly my statement had become moot as the wind gusted lightly, shuffling the letter on the ground and it slid underneath the crack of the door of the balcony. "NO!" I shouted again... "Well... at least its not completely gone... at least its inside. Just my luck... Well at least I have my book... I guess." I said with a subtle yawn afterwards. "I can't believe its been weeks... since I've gotten... enough... sleep..." I again yawned but more heavily... "Why did the door....have to lock behind me..." I stated releasing an even more powerful yawn. "But I have to know what my... letter says." I stated reaching for the door with my hoof, yawning heavily, but feeling myself become limp. I came crashing on the floor, I felt the exhaustion set in quickly and I closed my eyes. Feeling my mind go numb and my thoughts clear of everything I had just doing, my mind went dark for a brief moment. Slowly my mind filled with images of the Heart of Ymir and of Xellie on the moon. Specifically again the dropping of the Heart of Ymir copy, and the images of it pulsing darker and darker. Quickly I jerked up, realizing that I had that dream again. "Not this again... seriously... enough is enough... what do you want from me!" I cried out in pain from the small nightmare, not expecting a response and sighed heavily knowing that my reaction was would be fruitless regardless. I knew the dream would return next time I dozed off again. "I just want it to end..." Shaken by my dream, I had to do something to relax and clear my mind from it. Slowly I began to eye the book that the mailmare had just moments ago delivered to me, and the cover of the musical note, for some reason caught my attention. I stared down at the cover trying to decipher the note that was on the cover, but I found a strange obsession with it, as if I had known what it was all along. The note was a circle with a cross in it, with the lines of the cross extending past the ring of the circle. Then it suddenly hit me, the mysterious note, it was a coda, a musical notation that signified a small cadence that was played at the end of a part of a song to usher in the new part of the piece or the end of the song completely. A musical note that was hardly used anymore by Midgardian standards, especially with the shift of musical traditions changing from grand bands, as they were called, to simpler times, stand alone musicians, bards, and minstrels, a time that called for the expression of the individual. I had known this because so very little new music was being produced in Midgard when I had left, and all I had to indulge myself was researching Midgardian music theory. Which was why after my exile, I found myself many a day and night in the Juno Grand Library. I found myself pondering the reason why this note, of all different forms of musical notations, was the note chosen to best represent the music of Equestria? "Hmm." I said aloud, to have another sudden realization. "Octavia! She plays for an Orchestra! I've read of such things existing before in Midgard, but here in Equestria they are real! Maybe I can talk to her, maybe she will know why!" I shouted in excitement, considering knowing more about anything music related always made me eager and happy. I smiled heavily at the thought, only to hear a high pitched nose. "I... uh...what... seriously.. what the hell is that? Squee right?" Only to have my reaction change to a more serious outlook quickly as I asked myself aloud. I continued to stare at the book for a moment, pondering more about why the coda was chosen to represent this book that laid in front of me. I picked myself off the ground and sat up right, lightly dusting myself off from being on the ground. "Ah much better. Now the book" I commented to myself as I reached out with my front right hoof, only to have a small burst of wind pick up, rustling off some of the leaves off the nearby branches of the library and smacked a few right in my face. I reacted quickly by closing my eyes, and lightly screaming in the process. "Ugh! Ah!" I shouted, waving my front hooves drastically trying to combat the foliage that was assaulting me, trying to protect my face from the onslaught. Feeling the leaves smacking against my face lightly, I quickly brushed them off as quickly as they landed on me. After a few brief moments, the wind died down enough for the leaves to stop their attack. I quickly lowered my guard, and opened my eyes to see that the assault had indeed stopped for the moment. "Oh thank Celestia... its ov..." I tried to state but was interrupted by one single leaf smacking me straight on my snout. "Oh for the love of..." I commented wiping the leaf off my face. "Is there anymore?!" I shouted at the sky, only to have the wind pick up lightly, but not enough to pick up the leaves that had been scattered by the recent gusts. "I was kidding! I was kidding!" I shouted quickly, and the coincidentally the wind died down again. "Oh good... finally..." I stated, quickly raising my guard expecting another single piece of foliage to ambush me, but after a few brief moments of ordinary silence, I lowered it once again. I quickly turned over to the direction of the musical book that laid on the ground, only to see it had been opened by the recent gusts of wind. "Whats this?" I stated to myself, as I brought myself down to read the entry that had been imprinted on the pages. "Page 174, Similar instruments with different musical properties, even though the same, like the lute compared to the mandolin, can produce varying results of music. Even if the same song was to be played in an identical manner, the ponies listening to the song, would have different reactions to both instruments, as of a due to the different tones and pitches that said instruments could achieve. It is has also been recorded that, ponies, specifically unicorns who have developed their magic to play instruments, their magic also reacts differently when playing a different but similar instrument compared to the one that said unicorn is versed in." "That's... very interesting... just like how my I'm able to switch between the two variations of the Song of Ragnarok. The original, with its blue aura is very powerful but requires the entire song to be played so it can be discharged, and I can only play that one when the safety switch on my electric guitar is on, but when its off my aura turns dark green, and produces a weaker but a quicker responding discharge of energy when I produce a heavy strum on command." I said aloud to myself, allowing to better understand the analogy I was making. "Hmm.. perhaps some more reading..." I said to myself, but was quickly interrupted by the quick opening of the door, that slammed into my side, only to have a sudden jolt of pain run through me. "OW!" I screamed in pain. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry Kini. I heard something out here! It sounded like some crazy pony shouting." I heard a young male voice call out. "Uh....ooh..." I stated in a daze. Shaking off my pain I quickly looked over to the door to see Spike standing in the doorway. "Spike!" I stated with a slightly frustrated tone. "Sorry, I didn't think you were right behind the door. I'm so sorry!" Spike apologized. "It's ok... I've learned my lesson... stay away from doors." I commented. "Well... it's a shame Pinkie Pie wasn't here to warn you." Spike stated. "What?" I responded. "Her Pinkie Sense!" "Her what?" "Oh never mind... you'll just have to see it to beli... oh a book!" Spike stated as he looked down. "Oh yeah. It just came in the mail." I explained. "Oh good! I'm sure Twilight will be happy to see this one!" Spike stated quickly grabbed the book and rushed inside in a flash. "Spike! Wait! That book isn't for Twilight!" I shouted as I chased after him heading into the bedroom where I saw Twilight laying in bed, but already awake. "What's not for me?" Twilight stated. "Oh... I um... I got a book from the Princesses just a few minutes ago. I got it in the mail." I responded. "Oh that's good! Is it the copy of Equestrian Music Theory I requested for you a while ago?" Twilight asked. "I believe it is, it had a small letter from them also." I commented. "Good! Now take good care of it." Twilight explained. "I promise I will." I responded. "Whoa! WHOA!" I heard Spike shout out following a loud thud, followed by what sounded like fire burning. "Shoot..." "Um... should we?" I asked. "Probably!" Twilight retorted quickly as she quickly jumped out of bed and rushed downstairs. "Hey wait!" I shouted as I quickly followed in tow behind Twilight. As we both made it down stares, the sight in front of me was horrifying. My new book that I had just acquired only moments ago... was on the floor in cinders and all that remained was the cover. Spike was on the floor laying on his back just a few inches away from a small step ladder. "Spike! What happened!?" I shouted with immense frustration. "I... I..." Spike said nervously. "Spike... calm down... no one will be mad." Twilight reassured, and she quickly looked over to me and signaled toward me to take a deep breath. "Ok... Spike... what happened?" I asked more collectively. "Well... I was trying to put his book away, it's what I always do when we get a new book in stock here. It's habit... and when I tried to put it away on the shelf here under M, I lost my footing on the ladder and fell, I caught the book as I fell, but when I hit the ground, I hiccuped lightly causing me to expel a small flame... which burnt the book. I'm sooo sorry, I didn't mean to! I just assumed it was Twilight's because she loves books, and I never would have taken you for the book type Kiniro! I'm so sorry!" Spike explained with his eyes beginning to water. I took a deep breath, realizing it was all just a mistake and misunderstanding. "Its ok Spike. I forgive you." "You... you do?" Spike commented fighting back his watering eyes. "Of course I do Spike, I wouldn't take myself for much of a book reader either, how many times have you seen me reading a book lately?" I asked. "Well other than that Daring Do book with Rainbow Dash, none. I figured you were in the same boat as her." Spike answered. "Well I'm not that different from Rainbow Dash in that aspect, but I do love something much more than Daring Do." I explained. "Just like how Twi is with her magic, I have with my music." "Oh I see." Spike responded. "And that's why I love my little Kini, not only is he handsome and caring, he have the same outlook on the things we love!" Twilight commented as she pecked me on the check, as I blushed lightly. "Hey! I thought you said it was because of my devilish good looks!" I responded while doing a slight pose. "Well... uh... you're not that devilishly good looking" Twilight commented and stuck her tongue out at me. "Oh... thanks..." I responded now ashamed of my ugliness. "You're better than that, you have a great and quirky personality and you act so cute sometimes." Twilight attempted to console me. "CUTE?!?" Spike shouted and began rolling on the floor as he laughed heavily. I blushed heavily, now slightly ashamed yet enthused about the comment, but mostly ashamed due to Spike's reaction, him being one of the few other males I spent time with regularly. "Hey Spike, shouldn't you be feeling bad over my lost book?" "Oh... right..." Spike quickly stopped rolling on the floor and sounded depressed. "Well... still better than being cute!" Spike shouted and began laughing again. "Oh Spike quit it, you're cute too!" Twilight commented and laughed. "See?!" I responded. "I am not cute!" Spike retorted quickly. "You both are, see?" Twilight stated. "Now who is hungry? I know I am." "Yeah lets go get some breakfast!" Spike commented. "Can't we have breakfast here? You know you make the best breakfast Spike." I responded. "But I'm tired of making breakfast, I want to go out to breakfast for a change." Spike retorted. "But what about my book Spike?" I quickly stated making a pouting face. "Oh all right..." Spike begrudgingly agreed. "Besides, like said I just said breakfast. I do have to run an errand later, if you two come along I can treat you both to some lunch! Your pick Spike!" I stated. "I'd love to go, but I have some studying to work on, you two have a boys day out. " Twilight suggested. "Hey that sound's like fun! Think we can go get some ice cream afterwards?" Spike suggested. "Sure why not Spike, but we'll get it from the restaurant we go to if they serve it. So choose wisely!" I responded. "Alrighty then! Ponyville Cafe!" Spike commented. "Ok then, but first lets get something to eat for now, I'm hungry, besides it won't be for a couple hours." I reminded. "Yeah yeah yeah, ice cream." Spike shrugged off the wait. "Also... I'm still sorry for the book." "Don't worry about it Spike." I reassured. "I could just put in a request for Princess Celestia if she can make us another copy, I'll just let her know we had an accident with it. It will be a while until we get another, but still better than not having one." Twilight stated. "Very true, I can wait a few more weeks for it." I commented, only to hear my stomach rumble heavily. "So... uh breakfast?" I smiled heavily to hear that high pitched noise again, only to roll my eyes at the thought of the noise. "Yeah, lets get some breakfast going Spike. We'll help you." Twilight offered. "Yeah I'll help too." I agreed. "To the kitchen!" Spike said excitedly, as he headed into the kitchen, with Twilight in tow. "I'll be right back with you guys to help. I'm just going to go get my guitar from the balcony!" I stated as I rushed upstairs, running through the bedroom and out the balcony door. Quickly I grabbed my guitar that was leaning on the railing and swung it onto my back. As I turned around I saw the letter that Meadow Song had sent me laying on the ground in front of the door. "I'm going to read that in a bit, but food first!" I quickly picked it up gently with mouth and began my trot back down stairs. I slowly descended the stairs and upon reaching the bottom, I trotted over to a small table that had a wooden horse head adorning it as a center piece and set it down on the table. "Alright I'm back! Where do you need me?" I commented as I rushed into the kitchen. Even with the time spent with the book of Equestrian Music Theory was very minimal, it already had an impact on me. It arose some vary interesting questions and ideas even from the short excerpt that I did get the chance to read. It reminded me of variations of Ragnarok that I could play now, just from having a different but fundamentally similar instrument. Yet the key of the variation was the safety switch that Vinyl built into the guitar. Now I wondered, were there any other of my songs that could be affected by this? End of Chapter 3.